A five-bay brick manse in the Second Empire style, built about 1857 for the neighboring Presbyterian congregation.
At a glance
The First Presbyterian Church Rectory is a historic dwelling in Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County, New York. It is a 2½-story brick building set on a raised basement. Its most distinctive exterior feature is a bellcast mansard roof, the hallmark of the Second Empire style in American domestic architecture. The property was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, at the same time as the church it served.
History
The rectory was built around 1857 for the First Presbyterian Church of Poughkeepsie. It provided housing for the church’s minister, as was common for urban congregations of the period. In 1982, both the rectory and the related church received National Register designation.
What you see
The brick dwelling stands five bays wide. Its raised basement elevates the main floor above street level. Above it, the bellcast mansard roof sweeps outward at the eaves before rising steeply to the ridge. This roof form gives the building its Second Empire silhouette. The façade is symmetrical, with evenly spaced window openings across all five bays.
Cultural significance
The rectory is a surviving example of mid-nineteenth-century ecclesiastical housing in the Hudson Valley. Its inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places recognizes its architectural and historical association with the First Presbyterian Church.
Key facts
- Country: United States
- City: Poughkeepsie, New York
- Coordinates: 41.7011, -73.9253
Practical information & getting there
The rectory is near the First Presbyterian Church in Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County, New York. Use the coordinates 41.7011, -73.9253 to locate it precisely.
Sources & resources
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